The war in Iran has seen violence spread across the Middle East in the last week, with Irish expats fleeing Dubai to escape the threat of drone strikes – but one person who can’t come home yet is gas tanker technician Nathan O’Mahony.

The conflict was triggered by a US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. That assault sparked a retaliation by Iranian forces, leading to missile and drone strikes across the region. There are an estimated 24,400 Irish citizens in the Gulf area, with two planes having brought expats safely back to Dublin Airport this week.

But Cork‘s Nathan O’Mahony, stranded with his crewmates on a tanker, has no such opportunity to get home. Nathan, aged in his 20s, is a marine electrical technician, having studied at the Maritime College in Ringaskiddy – and is working aboard a giant ship in the Persian Gulf as part of a 39-person crew, transporting huge amounts of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

“At the moment we’re just off the coast of Ras Laffan in Qatar,” Nathan told the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s Red FM. “It’s the biggest gas export facility that Qatar has at the moment.”

On Monday, Qatar’s Defence Ministry said that an energy facility in Ras Laffan was hit by an Iranian drone. There were no causalities – but QatarEnergy has ceased production of LNG, contributing to huge spikes in bills and fuel prices across the globe.

Vessels anchored off the coast of Qatar – among them Nathan’s tanker(Image: marinetraffic.com)

Nathan’s ship is carrying a “massive” 100,000 cubic metres of LNG, intending to deliver the load to China – but the tanker has anchored off the coast of Qatar amid fears of assault from the air. A number of oil tankers in the Gulf region have reportedly been struck by Iranian drones – and 3,200 ships have now come to a halt.

Nathan said: “We don’t how long we have to wait. No one’s going to risk moving with that much gas or oil because if they’re targeted, it will be a massive issue.”

He added: “I can see 50-odd ships in our immediate area, and I can also see the coastline” – but said that he was “thankful and lucky” that he hasn’t witnessed any military activity in the air above the vessel. The ship has been anchored for less than a week so far – but “it’s anyone’s guess” how long the crew will have to wait before moving on.

Fortunately, resources aren’t currently an issue for Nathan and his crew. The tanker is equipped with a fresh water generator, which uses seawater to produce drinking water, as well as. enough food to keep the 39-strong crew fed for two months.

Nathan and family at Cork Airport

The disrupted voyage marks Nathan’s second time at sea. His first trip ran for four months last year. The current trip was supposed to last five months. Nathan explained: “I have four-and-a-half months left, so I wasn’t going home any time soon. I joined the crew in Singapore, went to Qatar to load up, and the intended destination is China – but I’m not sure what will happen now.”

Despite being stranded in a frightening situation, Nathan said: “I can only imagine what people are going through on land at the moment, because it’s devastating. I’m reading the news constantly and keeping up. As for my situation, we’re fairly okay. We’re taking it handy, like, we’re all in good spirits onboard the ship. There’s no point stressing about the situation because there’s nothing I can do about it. I can only take it day by day and keep in good hope.”

He said that his family, in both Ireland and England, is staying in touch, “texting the whole time” – and jokingly added: “it’s wrecking my head at this stage.”